It is a novel written by Harper Lee. Due to the multiple
themes addressed in the novel, it has the genre characteristics
of a bildungsroman and a Southern Gothic.
Upon its release, it became instantly successful has become a classic
of modern American fiction. The novel is loosely based on the author''s
observations of her family and neighbors, as well as an event that
occurred in her hometown when she was 10 years old. Lee has
acknowledged that the character Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, who serves
as the novel''s
narrator, is based on herself. Lee''s novel is widely taught in schools in English speaking countries with lessons that tie into tolerance and prejudice.
The novel addresses
themes such as courage, racial injustice, the death
of innocence, tragedy, and coming of age, set against a backdrop of
life in the Deep South. The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird,
particularly the narrator''s father Atticus Finch, has served as a moral
hero for many readers, and a singular model of integrity for lawyers.
One writer noted its impact in saying, "In the twentieth century, To Kill a Mockingbird
is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America, and
its protagonist, Atticus Finch, the most enduring fictional image of
racial heroism.